Susan Biali

How do you feel lately?  Is your body happy with your life, or has it been trying to get your attention? 

In our society, we tend to be disconnected from our innate wisdom and health, and instead look to other sources to guide us.   Some people go to the doctor and ask him or her for a diagnosis, or ask for a prescription that will make their symptoms go away.  Some people search for the perfect supplement, to give them more energy.   Others might ask a “healer” to tell them what this disease or symptom represents.  And frequently, if our body and mind are feeling sluggish, we might decide that we must have some kind of caffeine deficiency, and give our poor tired bodies a hefty kick with some espresso or Red Bull. 

Yesterday, when my friend Tina came in through my front door, her first words to me were: “Don’t look too closely, I’m having an adult acne day!”  I could easily relate, as I’m currently on course number three of Accutane. 

I’ve been interested in (and have noticed) the link between diet and acne for years, though for a long time there were only a handful of studies available on the subject.  I’d found that my flares of cystic acne over the years always happened after trips abroad: Italy, Mexico, and this time, my latest trip to Spain.  I normally stay away from refined flours, sugar, and dairy products (I’m milk protein allergic), but faced with limited healthy options overseas, I typically end up eating everything in sight, and end up looking like one of my favourite “cheat” foods: a pizza.